Protect Your Digital Privacy at U.S. Borders With This Pocket Guide

Most people traveling to Costa Rica by air will have to pass through the United States at some point, and that already unpleasant activity may become even more difficult. With travel bans enacted against several countries, increased scrutiny placed on other travelers (including journalists, U.S. citizens, and musicians, among many others), and an increasingly tense political culture in the U.S., many people worrying about invasive searches on their electronic devices. A new guide just released by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) brings a pocket-sized version of what travelers need to do to prepare to protect their digital information during border crossings.

The EFF added in a statement:

Many travelers are confused about what is legal at the border, and the consequences for running afoul of a border agent can run the gamut from indefinite seizure of your phone and computer, to denial of entry for foreign visitors, although American citizens always have the right to re-enter the country. EFF’s new guide hopes to clear up misinformation while recognizing that there is no “one size fits all” approach to crossing into the United States. In addition to the full report, EFF has also created a pocket guide for helping people concerned with data protection.

The Author

Peter Majerle

Peter Majerle is a native Minnesotan (U.S.A.) who splits his time between the Twin Cities and the tropics. His work has been published in over a dozen media. Peter is a student of North American and Latin American culture, politics and society. He is a native English speaker, fluent in Spanish, and speaks broken Portuguese.